Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has explained why she believes Prince William is the key figure needed in dealing with US President Donald Trump. The 42-year-old royal, who is next in line to the throne, met the US President in Paris three months ago.
The pair were present for the ceremonial reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral in December. Speaking to the Mirror, Ms Bond said: “William has had a solid grounding in diplomacy having watched both his grandmother and his father tread some delicate paths on the world scene.
“He has already shown himself well able to handle sensitive situations: he visited the West Bank seven years ago where he expressed his hopes for a lasting peace in the region.”
Discussing William’s relationship with Trump, she added: “Last December, the Prince was despatched to Paris on another tricky mission: to meet incoming President Trump.
“The meeting was a roaring success: Trump seemed to take to William and declared that he was a ‘good looking guy’. So this visit to Estonia was another exercise in the soft power of the monarchy, which is proving increasingly vital in these turbulent times.”
William has recently made a two-day trip to Estonia to strengthen UK ties with its Nato ally and support British forces stationed in the country as part of Britain’s Nato contribution.
During his visit, William visited Tapa army base in northern Estonia in his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment, whose 1st Battalion took over Nato duties in Estonia from The Royal Dragoon Guards.
As reported by the Mirror, UK troops lead a battlegroup in Estonia and the 900 British service personnel in the country is the UK’s largest permanent overseas deployment.
In footage released at the end of 2024, Trump can be heard referring to the King as a “really good person”. The US President is said to have “great respect” for King Charles and the entire British Royal Family.
It has recently been reported that the King could make a secret offer to US President Donald Trump that would make US ‘royal’ again. According to the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden’s latest column, plans are being made for the US to become the next “associate member” of the Commonwealth.